Date: March 10, 2018
Location: East Greenwich, Rhode Island (USA)
Address: 300 Avenger Drive (1600 Penn), East Greenwich, RI 0281
Type: Dust Fire
Fuel: Shavings (Wood Shavings)
Industry: High School Woodshop (Education)
Equipment: Trash Can
Company: East Greenwich High School
Previous Incidents: None Recorded
Loss: No Injuries
Capital Cost: Unknown
Status: Open
Confirmation: Unconfirmed
Institution Description:
According to Wikipedia, East Greenwich High School (EGHS) is a public secondary school located in East Greenwich, serving students in grades 9-12. EGHS is the highest performing public high school in the state and was ranked 259 on Newsweek’s list of America’s Top 500 High Schools in 2016.
The school was founded in 1942, was was formerly East Greenwich Academy. It moved to its Avenger Drive location in 1967 when its current building was constructed.
On May 29, 2018, East Greenwich News reported that the East Greenwich School Committee was facing budget cuts due to an almost $1.2 million shortfall in funding. A number of these cuts would impact EGHS, including planned repairs and replacement of furniture and fixtures having to be abandoned.
Description of Trash Can Fire:
On March 16, 2018, The East Greenwich Pendulum reported that fire crews from the East Greenwich Fire Department (EGFD) had doused a small fire at East Greenwich High School in the evening of Saturday, March 10, 2018.
The fire broke out in a woodshop classroom. The building was occupied at the time for a high-school production and, according to a police report, one of the occupants attempted to douse the flames by spraying a fire extinguisher under the door before fire and police personnel arrived.
The fire crew forced entry to the woodshop classroom and located a small “smouldering area”. They were able to quickly extinguish the fire. The fire marshall was unable to determine the exact cause of the fire but said that it appeared to have started in a small plastic trash can filled with pencil shavings at the front of the room. A stain-soaked rag was also found which may have contained flammable substances.
There were no injuries and damage to the classroom was minimal. Patch.com reported that the fire had caused some smoke damage.
At 5:27 pm, March 10, 2018, on Twitter a local firefighter tweeted that the fire had occurred in Room 102, had been “knocked down” and there was “extensive smoke damage.”
Sources:
The East Greenwich Pendulum
Patch.com
Twitter (tweet from firefighter)
Wikipedia (East Greenwich High School)
Newsweek (America’s top schools 2016)
East Greenwich News (budget cuts)
